Life, interrupted: How B.C. youth are fighting for stability in a broken child welfare system - BCGEU

Life, interrupted: How B.C. youth are fighting for stability in a broken child welfare system - BCGEU

Published on May 12, 2017

Alex Gervais was someone who moved. Sometimes, he chose to move — those who knew him well say he spent countless afternoons flying around the bike park on his BMX bike at the recreation centre in Abbotsford, B.C. Other times, he was moved.

As one of 7,000 or so kids who are under the care of the B.C. government at any given moment, Alex was shuffled between foster homes, temporary stays with family, special group homes for high-needs children and, occasionally, hotels. In September 2015, he jumped to his death from the fourth-storey window of his Super 8 hotel room in Abbotsford.

Alex Gervais was someone who moved. Sometimes, he chose to move — those who knew him well say he spent countless afternoons flying around the bike park on his BMX bike at the recreation centre in Abbotsford, B.C. Other times, he was moved.

As one of 7,000 or so kids who are under the care of the B.C. government at any given moment, Alex was shuffled between foster homes, temporary stays with family, special group homes for high-needs children and, occasionally, hotels. In September 2015, he jumped to his death from the fourth-storey window of his Super 8 hotel room in Abbotsford.